INGREDIENTS

Pâte brisée
285 g cold unsalted butter
75 g cold water
375 g plain (all-purpose) flour
7.5 g salt

Ruff puff pastry
1 kg plain (all-purpose) flour
20 g salt
300 g unsalted butter
400 g cold water
500 g unsalted butter, extra, chilled and chopped

Filling
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, chopped
300 g green beans, chopped
400 g chorizo, chopped
400 g sausages, such as chipolatas, chopped
3 garlic cloves, crushed
1-1/2 teaspoons sweet smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon dried thyme
300 g white wine
800 g fresh or tinned chopped tomatoes
2 sprigs fresh thyme
1 bunch chives, snipped
1 chicken stock (bouillon) cube
65 g cornflour
65 g water
1 egg, lightly beaten

Mash
800 g potatoes, peeled and chopped
60 g butter
80 ml warm milk
large pinch of salt

TO MAKE

To make the pâte brisée, put the butter and water into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the beater attachment. Mix on low speed until the butter starts to break down. Add the flour and salt and mix until just combined. Check the texture, there should be lumps of butter still visible. Turn out the dough onto the benchtop and work with a smearing motion using the palm of your hand. Extend your arm fully away from you and stretch the dough until the butter seems to be smeared. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for one to two hours. Using a rolling pin, roll out the chilled pâte brisée on a floured work surface to a thickness of 3 mm. Cut out ten 14 cm-diameter discs and use the pastry to line ten 11 cm individual pie tins. Store in the refrigerator until required.

To make the puff pastry, put the flour, salt and 300 g butter into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the dough hook. Start to mix on low speed and slowly add the cold water. Mix until a dough forms, then add the extra chilled chopped butter. Knead with the dough hook for one minute. Remove from the bowl and form into a block about 5 cm high. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes to chill. Remove the dough from the fridge, unwrap and place on a clean work surface that is at least 1 m long, with the long edge closest to you. Take a rolling pin and hit the dough evenly along its length until it is about 2 cm thick all over; this will extend the rectangle to approximately 25 x 35 cm. Roll out the dough using a rolling pin until the dough is 1 cm thick all over, ensuring you retain the long rectangular shape by tapping in any wandering edges. It will be about 1 m long now. Note: when rolling the dough, always roll along the length of the dough.

Fold over the right-hand third of the dough towards the left side so the edge lands at the two-thirds mark. Take the time now to even up any wandering edges so you always retain a neat rectangle, with all edges lined up. Fold the left-hand third of the dough back over the right and even up the edges again. Roll the dough out again to 1 cm thick and fold into thirds as before: this completes a double turn. Put the dough in the refrigerator to chill for one hour. Repeat these two steps, rolling and folding twice for another double turn. Put the dough in the refrigerator to chill again for one hour. Repeat rolling and folding once more (a single turn) and put the dough in the refrigerator again for one hour. The dough is now ready to be used. At this point you can wrap the dough in plastic wrap and freeze it for later use.

Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan and fry the onion for five minutes. Add the beans only and fry for a further five minutes. Add the chorizo and sausages and cook for an additional five minutes. Add the garlic, spices and dried thyme and cook for one to two minutes. Add the wine, tomatoes, fresh thyme and chives. Finally add the stock cube. Cook for 40 minutes. Combine the cornflour and water, add to the sausage mixture and stir to thicken.

Preheat the oven to 175°C. Fill the pastry-lined pie tins with 110 g of the filling mixture per tin. Brush the rim with the beaten egg, place the puff pastry lid on top and seal the edges. Using a small knife, poke two holes in the top. Brush the top with egg wash, then bake for about 20–25 minutes or until golden.

While the pies are baking, boil the potato in a large saucepan of simmering water until tender. Drain well. Put the potato into a bowl and mash well. Add the butter and warm milk. Add a pinch of salt and mash again until very smooth. Spoon or pipe the mash onto the top of the baked pies.

Recipe and images from The Zumbo Files by Adriano Zumbo. Published by Murdoch Books.